{"id":4236,"date":"2016-01-28T11:35:20","date_gmt":"2016-01-28T15:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highedwebtech.com\/?p=4236"},"modified":"2016-04-18T12:46:38","modified_gmt":"2016-04-18T17:46:38","slug":"my-kingdom-for-an-instagram-api","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highedwebtech.com\/2016\/01\/28\/my-kingdom-for-an-instagram-api\/","title":{"rendered":"The Challenges of Managing a Brand on Instagram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Or:\u00a0My Kingdom for an Instagram API<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s been interesting to watch Instagram scale and become one of the most used social networks over the last few years. Their app is great, the features they’ve added like video have been well-integrated into the platform, and the spin-off apps, like Hyperlapse, have become tools that are very useful in their own right.<\/p>\n

As a regular user, Instagram is fun and easy to use and share. Does it need to be vigilant and promote good content? Yes, otherwise I fear they’ll go the way of Facebook where it’s just people sharing dumb images with silly motivational sayings and crap content created to drive clicks and likes.<\/p>\n

As a user who also manages a brand on Instagram, it’s a pain to use. Here’s why.<\/p>\n

First, there’s no easy way to switch between my personal Instagram account and brand account, other than logging out and logging back in. While not a big deal, it’s best to be posting regular content as a brand page and I’m constantly switching back and forth. The app should let me switch easily and quickly.<\/p>\n

While we’re at it, it should also remember the connected social networks to each account. I’m hesitant to also share my brand Instagram post on Twitter using the built-in tools of Instagram because I’m scared to death a photo of my lunch, kids, or collection of Lego minifigs would be shared on my University’s Twitter feed. Oops.<\/p>\n

Instagram needs better statistics and reporting for brands. Twitter and Facebook have built very nice analytics tools, but Instagram has not. If they want brands to spend more time on their platform, and promote their posts by purchasing ads, they need to give actionable data. The best way at this point to get Instagram analytics is to go to a place like Iconosquare<\/a>, where you can get data but only for a few days then you need to move to a paid plan.<\/p>\n

The other challenge Instagram faces is that life would be easier for brands if they had an API where we could post images and videos using it. Most times, I upload my content to Dropbox, open my phone, save the image, email myself the copy to go with my post, copy the text for the post, finally open Instragram, and then I post. There has to be a better way.<\/p>\n

Instagram’s API<\/a> is robust.\u00a0You can easily pull media, user information, likes, friends, and more. What it lacks, at least to the public, is a way to POST media to it.<\/p>\n

But if you’re building an app that pulls Instagram data, be aware:<\/p>\n

Apps created on or after Nov 17, 2015 will start in Sandbox Mode and function on newly updated API rate-limits and behaviors. Prior to going Live, and being able to be used by people other than the developers of the app, these apps will have to go through a new review process.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So for now, we’re stuck with no easy API. There are ways to fake it though.\u00a0People have sniffed out the calls Instagram’s app makes to the API, so they see how to POST data, but they get denied.<\/p>\n

For the last few months, I found a little free Mac app called Gramblr<\/a> that would post to Instagram on the sly. If I had to guess, it sent Instagram headers pretending to be an Android or iOS application. Gramblr recently update from a small stand-alone app to a new app that you manage from the browser, locally it seems.<\/p>\n

Today I updated to the new version and posted this photo. Using Gramblr’s new web-based interface, it was super easy. Adding a photo was drag-and-drop, and you can add filters and resize as needed. Adding my caption was a simple cut and paste action.<\/p>\n

Here are a few Gramblr screenshots:<\/p>\n